NYC in a nuclear exchange

Clipper747

Banned
NYC wouldn't be touched as long as Moscow is left alone.

As for the Backfires I always saw them as medium range bombers, more of a threat to Western Europe, Japan than the U.S.

Now the Blackjacks, Bears and perhaps Bisons that's a different story.
 
NYC wouldn't be touched as long as Moscow is left alone.

As for the Backfires I always saw them as medium range bombers, more of a threat to Western Europe, Japan than the U.S.

Now the Blackjacks, Bears and perhaps Bisons that's a different story.

Bisons had range problems, especially for NYC. Blackjacks are a bit thin on the ground. Bears, however ....
 
Midtown Manhattan - 750 kilotons
Lower Manhattan - 750 kilotons
Downtown Newark - 350 kilotons
Harlem River - 350 kilotons
George Washington Bridge - 350 kilotons
Verazano Narrows Bridge - 350 kilotons
Lincoln Tunnel - 350 kilotons
Holand Tunnel - 350 kilotons
Bayway Refinery - 350 kilotons
Perth Amboy Refinery - 350 kilotons
Port Reading Refinery - 350 kilotons
Bayonne - 350 kilotons
Oak Island Yard - 350 kilotons
Brooklyn Navy Yard - 350 kilotons
Port Newark-Elizabeth Marine Terminal - 750 kilotons
Port Jersey - 750 kilotons
Laguardia Airport - 750 kilotons
JFK Airport - 750 kilotons
Newark Airport - 750 kilotons


I could accomplish this with four SS-11 Mod-3 missions and two SS-19 Mod 3 missions, with carry 4 and 6 warheads respectively.
 
Stalkere, re: delivery vehicles--

Don't the Russians park some Deltas (or, depending on the era, Typhoons) in the Arctic Ocean as soon as tensions start rising? I'm pretty sure the R-29s can fairly well plaster any targets on the Eastern Seaboard.


Also, I imagine the Russians to have sneaked at least one thermonuclear device into their embassy via diplomatic pouch, and explode it when the balloon goes up...

-----

Also also, weren't the Russian guidance systems so poor that they'd only expect half their missiles to hit anywhere close to where they were pointed?
 

Clipper747

Banned
Bisons had range problems, especially for NYC. Blackjacks are a bit thin on the ground. Bears, however ....


Not to mention the Soviets had very little intercontinental air to air refueling capability. I know they had IL-76s and TU-16 tankers but I see these being used much closer to home.
 

CalBear

Moderator
Donor
Monthly Donor
How often do you think they'd be updated?

The SIOP?

Daily, possibly hourly.

Of course, there IS no SIOP. never has been a SIOP, and never will be a SIOP.

There is debate where the letters I, O, P, & S were ever used in a single sentence.
 
I recall read that there is not a SIOP, but instead of there existing a large number of SIOPs which are, once you get past the fancy names, basically nuclear strike plans (although I think 'options' would be the better word) for practically every country in the world. And yeah, they are always being drafted, reviewed, modified, and burned as the US stockpile, other nations stockpiles, and the global situation changes.

As for what New York would get hit with: my best guess are a few SLBM warheads for the New York harbors, one for the refineries, and probably one or two for downtown Manhatten (mainly the financial district) just to get the final message across. One last ICBM warhead ground-burst for JFK and then, as Stalkere said, leave it to be a humanitarian headache for the surviving US Government(s).

As for Soviet bombers reaching New York of the period: the chances are very good. By the time the bombers reach US territory, the early warning and air defense networks would have been shattered for nearly six-hours. Any interceptor squadrons would have to just fly around and hope they run across a Soviet bomber before it can launch/drop its weapons.

As a hunch, I always suspected the Soviets would send their bombers after any surviving counterforce targets first and then surviving high-priority and medium-priority countervalue targets second. That may mean New York might get a visit from a Bear, or it might not.
 
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I could accomplish this with four SS-11 Mod-3 missions and two SS-19 Mod 3 missions, with carry 4 and 6 warheads respectively.

It's like the old game show "Name That Tune!" but with nukes...

Player 1: "I can Destroy That City with...four missile missions."
Player 2: "I can Destroy That City with...THREE missile missions."
Player 1 (conceding): "Destroy That City!"

:D
 
Reminds me of the movie Wargames(1983)

David: How about a game of Global ThermoNuclear War.

Joshua the A.I.: Wouldn't you prefer a nice game of chess?

David: Later. Let's play Global ThermoNuclear war.

Joshua: Fine.
 
148573914e1d84a198cb149646cce4f9139ef49b.jpg

Targets for NYC/NJ and power plants in Indian Point and Bethpage.
 
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